BJP men continuing attacks on opposition in Tripura: Manik Sarkar

Agartala, Aug 9 (IANS) Ruling BJP members and their sponsored goons have continued their violent attacks on opposition parties in Tripura for the last five months while the misgovernance of the saffron party led alliance government has adversely affected the lives and livelihoods of the common people, former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said here on Thursday.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist backed All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), as part of its nationwide “Jail Bharo” agitation, organised demonstrations at eleven places in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruled Tripura.

CPI-M Central Committee member Bijan Dhar and AIKS state unit Secretary Narayan Kar claimed that over 11,000 farmers and common people took part in the agitation in Tripura.

“A large number of CPI-M and AIKS members were injured, some of them seriously, in different places in Tripura when police and BJP activists attacked them,” Dhar told the media.

Manik Sarkar while addressing the gathering here said that for the past five months the lives and livelihoods of the common people are at stake as there are no minimum number of jobs for the poor people under MGNREGA and the Tripura Urban Employment Programme, launched by the previous Left Front government.

“When people are dying in absence of rural, urban jobs and other scheme based works, BJP activists and the party sponsored goons continue to attack opposition party supporters, their homes and assets, including destroying 54 rubber gardens and poisoning a huge number of fishing ponds. Over 2500 opposition party members and supporters including 125 women were injured in the hundreds of attacks by the ruling party activists,” Sarkar said.

He said: “Just yesterday (Wednesday) former minister and state Congress President Birajit Sinha was attacked by the BJP activists in northern Tripura. He somehow took shelter in a nearby police station. The BJP leaders are trying to completely wipe out the opposition parties and their party offices by bulldozing hundreds of offices.”

Urging the BJP government to restore peace and a democratic environment in Tripura, the CPI-M politburo member said that the “Jail Bharo” agitation is being organised in 450 districts in the country on Thursday to protest against the “anti-farmer” and “pro-corporate” policies of the Narendra Modi government.

“As part of the continued countrywide agitation by workers, farmers, working class people and others, a “March to Parliament” programme would be held on September 5 to create a tremor for the Modi government,” said the 69-year-old Left leader.

Sarkar said that the police in Agartala and many other places in Tripura put up many barricades to prevent free movement of people and to restrain the procession of the Left parties.

CPI-M state secretary Bijan Dhar said that BJP activists accompanied by anti-socials, attacked or blockaded CPI-M party offices and people willing to participate in the “Jail Bharo” agitation in Belonia, Taidu, Udaipur, Ampi, Sabroom in southern Tripura and Kanchanpur, Dharmanagar, Gandachara and Panisagar in northern Tripura.